Interested in buying a new guitar? Wondering if an old guitar you already have is good enough? Here's some quick advice to keep in mind.
If you already have a guitar in the house and are eager to start learning to play, you can surely get started. Even if it’s not the most comfortable or high-quality instrument, every bit of practice you put in will carry over when you eventually upgrade.
Sometimes, an old guitar might have serious issues like rusty strings or high action (which can make the strings nearly extremely difficult to push into the fretboard). In these cases, it may be incredibly difficult to make it work… and buy something new, or at least changing the strings, may be required.
A final note here that determination can go a long way. When I was in high school, I began playing a hand-me-down guitar with pretty poor action. Anything aside from basic chords was difficult to play. But just the same, I powered through for about a year and eventually acquired a better one… and everything I’d learned immediately became way easier to play. Years later, I think back fondly at that first guitar — because it got me started.
Generally, you get what you pay for. Cheap guitars can feel clunky, sound tinny, and make playing more difficult. Investing more means getting better craftsmanship, a richer sound, and an instrument that feels good in your hands.
Budget guitars around $200–$300 can surely work for beginners… but if you’re comfortably able to swing it, aiming for the $500 (or $800 or $1,000) price point often gets you something that will be more enjoyable to play and much easier to learn on.
Here’s a round-up of recommended guitars (between $200-$1000) from a channel I generally recommend. This guy (Cooper Greenberg) absolutely has more guitar experience than me, especially when it comes to an in-store experience of interacting with customers.
You don’t have to break the bank, but spending a bit more upfront can make a huge difference in your overall enjoyment.
If you can, visit a guitar store! Even if you plan on purchasing online. Guitar stores let you look around, pick up & hold various guitars, and get a direct sense of the variety & quality of different guitar choices.
This is especially true if you already know how to strum a few chords, or play a few licks. Comparing different models side by side, one after another, will absolutely give you a much better sense of what feels right for you. Plus, you can ask the staff questions… they typically have helpful tips that you wouldn’t find online.
Trying out guitars before buying can make the difference between getting something you’re excited to play versus something that just looks good on paper.
This is important! If a guitar feels good in your hands and you love the way it looks, that’s a big deal. A guitar that excites you will make you want to pick it up more often.
Don’t go only on recommendations from folks like me… if a specific guitar calls your name, trust that feeling. A guitar you’re thrilled to own will motivate you to practice and improve.
To me, the choice between acoustic and electric comes down to the kind of music you’re drawn to. Acoustic guitars are great for some classic rock, folk, country, and singer-songwriter tunes. They’re simple… no amps, no cables, just pick up and play. Great for a campfire or casual noodling on the couch.
Electric guitars are more versatile. They allow for an incredibly amount of different tones and effects, though they require an amp and extra gear. I agree with folks who say electric guitars can be easier to play, because the string guages are typically lighter — making them easier on your fingers.
If your favorite artists play acoustic, go that route. If they’re electric rock gods, get an electric. It’s more about aligning with your musical inspiration than one being objectively better than the other.
And again… all the core fundamentals (chords, strumming, licks & riffs, etc) can be applied equally on electric or acoustic guitars.
If you’re going the acoustic route and asked me which exact guitar you should get, I’d recommend considering something from Taylor’s GS Mini series. I bought one of these a few years back, which was my first new acoustic purchase in 20 years — and I absolutely love it. Here’s more of my thoughts on the topic:
To clarify, this is a short-scale or travel-size guitar — which means it’s slightly smaller than full-size acoustics. I thought this class of guitar wouldn’t ever work for me, because of my finger size… but boy was I wrong. Because it’s slightly smaller, it’s far easier to pick up & put down, and everything’s just a little easier to play. You do sacrifice a small bit of depth & spaciousness with the overall sound, but I think this is totally fine.
If you’re getting a used guitar or dusting off an old one, you may want to take it to a guitar shop for a professional setup. This is similar to a tune-up for your car. A trained guitar tech will clean, inspect, and adjust various parts of the guitar to make sure everything is in tip-top shape. Typically new strings will be installed as part of this process. A good setup can make a world of difference in playability.
Buying a guitar is just the start… you’ll need some accessories too. A tuner, capo, some picks, and handful of other things. I’ll cover those in the next video (linked below)… but just keep this in mind when budgeting.
That’s it! Hope this helps guide you to the right guitar choice. Feel free to ask questions in the discussion forum… and good luck!
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